1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor element, a semiconductor element, an electronic device, and electronic equipment, and more specifically relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor element, a semiconductor element manufactured by the semiconductor element manufacturing method, an electronic device provided with the semiconductor element, and electronic equipment provided with the electronic device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As a semiconductor element having a plurality of organic layers, there are known an organic electroluminescent device (hereinafter, simply referred to as an “organic EL device”) and an organic thin film transistor and the like.
In particular, the organic EL devices have been extensively developed in expectation of their use as solid-state luminescent devices or emitting devices for use in inexpensive large full-color displays.
In general, such an organic EL device has a structure in which a light emitting layer is provided between a cathode and an anode. When an electric field is applied between the cathode and the anode, electrons are injected into the light emitting layer from the cathode side, and holes are injected into the light emitting layer from the anode side.
The injected electrons and holes are recombined in the light emitting layer, which then causes their energy level to return from the conduction band to the valence band. At this time, excitation energy is released as light energy so that the light emitting layer emits light.
In such organic EL devices, it has been known that a layered device structure, in which organic layers formed of organic materials having different carrier transport properties for electrons or holes are provided between a light emitting layer and a cathode and/or an anode, is effective in obtaining a high-efficiency organic EL device with high luminance.
For this purpose, it is necessary to laminate a light emitting layer and organic layers having different carrier transport properties (hereinafter, these layers are collectively referred to as “organic layers”) on the electrode. In the conventional manufacturing method of an organic EL device, a laminate in which such organic layers are sequentially laminated is first formed on an anode by means of a liquid phase process, and then a cathode made of a metal material is formed on a surface of the laminate which is opposite to the surface thereof on which the anode is provided by means of a liquid phase process, to thereby form an organic EL device.
However, in such a manufacturing method, it is difficult to form a laminate by laminating respective organic layers so that each layer has an uniform film thickness, and in particular it is difficult to form a cathode having an uniform film thickness on the laminate by means of a liquid phase process.
Further, when such a cathode is formed by means of a liquid phase process, the laminate which has been in advance formed is likely to be degraded or deteriorated due to a high energy applied upon the formation of the cathode. As a result, variations in the film thicknesses of the respective organic layers and formation of pin holes are likely to occur, thereby leading to the case that properties of the organic EL devices such as luminescent efficiency and the like are lowered.
In order to solve the above described problems, there are known the following methods (which are disclosed in JP-A No. 9-7763 and JP-A No. 2002-203675). Specifically, these publications disclose a method of forming an organic EL device which comprises the steps of: (I) organic layers are laminated on an anode and a cathode, respectively, (II) the surfaces of these organic layers which do not face the anode and the cathode are made contact with each other, and (III) the surfaces of the organic layers are bonded so that they are integrated.
More specifically, in the method disclosed in JP-A No. 9-7763, a curing resin is added to a constituent material of the organic layers to be bonded so that the curing agent functions as a resin binder, to thereby bond the organic layers together.
However, this method involves a problem in that a carrier transport ability of the organic layers is lowered due to the affect of the added resin binder.
Further, in the method disclosed in JP-A 2002-203675, after organic layers to be bonded are melted in a state that these layers are in contact with each other, these organic layers are cured again so as to bond the organic layers.
However, this method involves a problem in that a sufficient adhesion cannot be obtained between the bonding surfaces so that a carrier transport ability of the organic layers can not be sufficiently improved.
The problems described above may also been raised in organic thin film transistors.